By: Ryan Hartwig (@RyanHartwig)
GreenBayPhoenix.com
GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) - After a record-breaking opening weekend of the 2012 season, Green
Bay volleyball senior Brittany Groth (Oak Creek, Wis.) has been selected
as the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week for the period of Aug. 24-26.
It marks the fourth time the Phoenix libero has received the award in her
standout career.
Groth
registered 72 digs in nine sets played at the Green Bay/Country Inn &
Suites Tournament over the weekend, averaging a league-best eight digs per set.
She started the season with 24 in Green
Bay's sweep of Drake on Friday before adding 19 more against Central
Michigan on Saturday. She saved her best performance for the tournament finale
against Auburn, breaking
the school record for digs in a three-set match with 29. Groth previously
tied the three-set digs record in 2010, matching Phoenix assistant Sarah Rauen's mark of 26.
"Brittany
has been breaking school records left and right over the past couple years, so
I'm not surprised she's continuing that right away this season," Phoenix head
coach Debbie Kirch said. "There's no doubt that she's the most
relentless player on our team and she's not going to let the ball hit the
floor. She had a great weekend and is very deserving of the Player of the Week
award."
Groth
was named Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week twice last season,
picking up the award on Sept. 26 and Oct. 31. She was also recognized on Oct.
10, 2010. The senior currently holds Green Bay's school records for digs in a
four-set match (38), three-set match (29) and for an individual season (659 in
2011). Groth needs 547 more to pass Megan Elfering (2005-08) as Green Bay's
career digs leader.
Groth
and the Phoenix opened the 2012 season with a 1-2 record, defeating the
Bulldogs 3-0 in the opener before suffering a pair of tough 3-0 losses to the
Chippewas and Tigers on Saturday. Green Bay is back in action on Tuesday night
when it travels to DeKalb, Ill., for its first road match of the season against
Northern Illinois at 7 p.m.
NOTES
Carmen Leitermann was named to the Green Bay/Country Inn & Suites All-Tournament
Team following a trio of strong performances. The senior had a team-high 31
kills over the weekend, committing just three errors. Her .475 hitting
percentage is second among Horizon League players through the first weekend of
competition ... Groth's average of eight digs per set is tops in the league, with
the second-highest total being 5.19 by Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Taylor Root from Valparaiso ... Katie Mroczenski had a strong weekend the
Phoenix, posting 14 total blocks - the second-highest total of any Horizon
League player after the season-opening matches ... Leitermann had 10 total blocks
in Green Bay's first three matches. Her six solo blocks pushed her career total
to 82, moving the senior into second place on the school's all-time list ahead
of Jessie Theys (81 from 2000-03) and behind Marie Kaland (97 from 1992-95) ... A
pair of freshmen made their debut in a Phoenix uniform at the team's home
tournament. Becca Mastey played in all nine sets for Green Bay, recording 20
digs and four assists, while Taylor Kasal appeared in one set against CMU,
picking up a pair of digs ... Green Bay is averaging more digs (21) and blocks
(2.67) per set than any team in the Horizon League.
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